Automatic carrier system.



S. H. LIBBY. AUTOMATIC CARRIER SYSTEM. APPLIOATION IILED MAB..12, 1906.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908 lmlwfl fim m MA H0 m m 2 M W WiKnesses: WV w/z- I,

the carrier toward the dump UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAM H. LIBBY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SPRAGUE ELECTRIC COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ao'roua'rlc oannmn sys'rnu.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAM H. LIBBY, a citizen of the United States, residin at East Orange, county of Essex, State of ew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Carrier Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to systems wherein a carrier is adapted to be set in operation at one point and thereafter travel to another oint where it. is automatically reversed an returned to the starting point, and has for its object to provide a simple construction and arrangement of parts whereby the carrier may be made to operate smoothly and with certainty, with the least wear upon the system and without requiring careful attention on the part of the operator.

To the above end the present invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The present invention will be more fully understood and its objects and advantages will more clearly appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanyin drawings wherein:

Figure l i ustrates diagrammatically the motor and control mechanism of the carrier, together with a plurality of stations and the system of current distribution between the stations arranged in accordance with a "preferred embodiment of the resent invention; and Fig. 2 shows a modi cation of the system of current distribution between two stations.

Reference being had to Fig. 1., A indicates a motor for moving a carrier alon its track.

B is a. hoisting motor mountefupon the carrier.

0 is a reversing switch associated with the motor A.

D is a controller for the hoisting motor.

E is a limit switch of the usual type adapted to open the circuit of the hoisting motor and operate the reversing switch of the traverse motor in order to stop the hoisting motor after the load has been raised and to set the traverse motor inioperation to move station.

L and L indicate a source 0 current supply from which current is taken to operate the motors.

The carrier is provided with a current collector F which is adapted to engage with n supply conductor l connected to line L. Two other current collectors F and F are provided, these collectors engaging with a supply conductor 1 but bein se arated from each other for a'considerab e distance for a pur ose to be hereinafter described.

T e supply conductor 1 is made continuous throughout the entire distance over which the carrier is adapted to travel, while the supply conductor 1 is made in sections, the main sections 1 and 2 bein arranged between the loading station an the first unloading station and between two unloading stations, respectively. At the loading station the con uctor l is section 3, while at the umping or unloacgldg stations dead sections 4 and 5 are provi Additional sections 7 8 and 9, normally iso latcd from each other and from the main sections, are arranged near the loading station. Sections 1 and 2 are connected directly to line L, while sections 4 and 5 ma be connected to the same line throu switches 10 and 11, res ectively.' The sections 7, 8 and 9am li ewise connected to line L the connection between section 7 and rovided with a dead the line including resistance sections R, R

and R; the connection between section 8 and the line including resistance sections B. and R and'the connection between the section 9 and the line including only resistance section B. Section 9 me be connected to line L thro h resistance b the switch 12. Similar y sections 8 an 7 may connected to hne and R and through resistances R, R and R, respectively, by means of switches 13 and 14. The sections 7, 8- and 9 may also be connected together and to the main section 1 by moving the switches 12, 13 and 14: into the positions shown. Similarly, sections 9", 8" and 7" ma be connected to line L or to each other an to the main section 2 by moving switches 15, 16 and 17 to one position or the other. In the drawing, one group of auxiliar sections isshown isconnected to line and connected to the section 1, while the other group is disconn from the section 2 and connected to line L. This arrangement may of course be extended to include any number-of unloading stations Assuming that the parts are in the positions illustrated, current will flow from line L, supply conductor 1, current collector F,

be 00 L through resistances R field coil (1 of the traverse motor, throu h contacts 0 c and c of the reversing switc 1, through the armature a of the traverse niJ- tor and then through contacts a, c and c of the reversin switch to current collector F, sections 7 o the other supply conductor, resistances R, R and R to line L. Thus the motor is being supplied with a low current and the carrier is started toward the unloading stations at a slow speed. As soon as the current collector F enters upon section 8, the resistance R is eliminated and only resistances R and R remain in circuit between the source of supply and the carrier: consequentlv the speed of the carrier is accelerated. When section 9 is reached a fur-' ther resistance section, It, is eliminated and a still higher speed is reached. Finally, the carriage enters upon the main section 1 and all the resistance is eliminated, permitting the carrier to proceed at its maximum speed toward the dumping station.

If it is not desired to stop at the first unloading station, the switches 10, 12, 13 and 14 are moved into the positions shown, causing the sections 7". 8 and 9. to be in electrical connection with section 1, and the normally dead section 4- to be supplied with current directly from line L. The carrier therefore travels past the first unloading station and, if it is desired to stop at the next unloading station, the switches 11, 15, 16 and 17, are moved to the positions indicated. Thus when section 9 is reached, the only path through which current may flow after leaving collector F is through switch 15, resistance section R and thence to line L. This insertion of resistancein the circuit of the motor cuts down its speed and consequently causes the speed of the carrier itself to diminish. In like manner, as sections 8 and 7 are reached, additional resistance sections l and R are cut in, so that when the carrier enters upon dead section 5 its speed has been materially reduced. It will be seen that as soon as the dead section is reached the motor circuit is interrupted and the carrier is brought to a stop through the action of thesolcnoid brake A. Before the carrier comes to rest, however, a projection G at the unloading station is struck by an arm 18 on the carrier. This arm normally, it will beseen, engages with a cam 19 'xpon the reversing switch and holds the reversing switch in the position shown, against the tension of a siring 20. VVhen,'-thcrefore, the arm 18 Stlll(5 against the projection G, the cam 19 is released and the reversing switch is thrown to its opposite running position by means of the spring 20. Current is now supplied to the traverse motor through current collector F which is in enagement with section 7", and a circuit may e traced from supply conductor 1* through the field coil of the traverse motor, through contacts a, c, c' and 0 of the reversing switch, through the armature of the traverse motor, through reverser contacts 0 0 0 and 0 to collector F, through switch 17 and reslstances R, R and R to line L. The carrier therefore starts slowly on its return trip and, as sections 8 and 9 are reached, resistance sections R and R are cut out, and

finally, when the carrier enters upon section 2, resistance section R is also cut out, so that the carrier travels towards the loading sta' tion at full speed. When section 9 is reached, resistance R is cut in and resistances R and R are also introduced in the order named, as sections 8 and 7 are reached. Therefore the carrier, when it arrives at the loading station, is traveling at a low rate of speed, so that when the circuit is interrupted at section 3 the carrier may be readily brought to a stop. If it had been desired to unload at the first unloading station, the switches 10, 12, 13 and 14 would have been moved into the opposite positions from those shown and the carrier would have been slowed down, stopped and reversed at the first station, the reversing switch being tripped by means of the projection G which was previously adjusted out of the path of movement of the arm 18.

It is of course understood that the load may be dumped in any suitable way at the desired station, this portion of the apparatus being omitted since it forms no part of the present invention.

It will now be seen that a very efl'ective system of control for the carrier is provided, whereby it is possible to set the carrier in operation while bearing a heavy load without danger of injury to the motor, to thereafter permit the carrier to travel at its maximum speed and then to slow down the carrier in order that the reversal may take place without unduly straining the apparatus. Similarly, the return of the carrier to the starting point iseffected in the same sinoothand efficient manner. By placing the resistance in the distributing circuit instead of in the circuit 11 )on the carrier, the use of all speed contro ling apparatus on the carrier is avoided and the dead weight upon the carrier due to this ap aratus and the heavy resistances is materia y reduced, while at the same time, by reason of the avoidance of movable controller parts, a sys tem results which may he subjected to much rough usage without in any way afl'eoting the certainty and efficiency of its operation.

The switches for controlling the auxiliary sections at the dumping; stations may be controlled in any suitable manner, as may also the tripping devices G and G. No means for o crating these devices has been illustrate since means for accomplishing this purpose, either in the way of distant com trol or local control, is well known.

and a section 21 In Fig. 2 I have indicated a similar system wherein but one resistance section is employed and in which there is but one unloading station. Thus the elements L, L, Z, Z, F, F F, R and G correspond in everyrespect to the elements bearing similar reference characters in Fig. 1. The supply conductor Z instead of having three auxiliary resistance governing sections at each station is provided with only one such section, namely, a section 21 at the loading station at the dumping station.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. In a traveling carrier system, a loading station and an unloading station, a supply conductor connecting said stations and hav ing a dead section at the unloading station, a carrier having a pair of separated current collectors engaging said conductor, a driving motor on said carrier, a reversing switch arranged to connect said motor to one of said current-collectors for movement in one direction and to the other current-collector for movement in the opposite direction, and means for automatically operating said reversing switch at the unloading station.

2. In a traveling carrier system, a loading station and an unloading station, a supply conductor connecting the stations and having dead sections at the stations, a carrier having a pair ofscparated current-collectors engaging said conductor, a driving motor on said carrier, a reversing switch arranged to connect said motor to one current-collector for one direction of movement and to the other current-collector for movement in the opposite direction, and means for stopping said carrier when the current-collector which is supplying current to the motor runs upon one of said dead sections. 4

3. In a traveling carrier system, a loading station and an unloading station, a supply conductor connecting said stations and having a dead section at the unloading station, a carrier having a pair of separated current collectors engaging said conductor, a dllVr ing motor on said carrier, a reversing switch arranged to connect said motor to one of said current-collectors for movement in one direction and to the other current-collector for movement in the opposite direction, and means for automatically operating said reversing switch at the unloading station.

4. In a traveling carrier system. a. loading station and a plurality of unloading stations. a supply conductor connecting said stations and having isolated sections adjacent said unloading stations, means for energizing or denergizing said isolated sections. a carrier having a pair of separated current-collectors engaging said conductor, a driving motor on said carrier, a reversing switch arranged to connect said motor to one of said current-collectors for movement in one direction and to the other current-collector for movement in the opposite direction, and means for automatically 0 crating said reversing switch at the unloacing station.

5. In a traveling carrier system, a loading station and an unloading station, a supply conductor connecting said stations and having dead sections adjacent said stations, a carrier having a pair of separated currentcollectors engaging said conductor, a driving motor on said carrier, a reversing switch arranged to connect said motor. to one currentcollector for movement in one direction and to the other current-collector for movement in the opposite direction, an electromagnetically-controlled brake adapted to stop said carrier when the current-collector which is supplying current to the motors enters upon a dead section, and a projection at the unloadin station arranged to cause the operation 0 the reversing switch. 7

6. In a traveling carrier s stem, a loading station and a plurality of up oading stations, a source of current supply, a conductor connected to said source 0. sup ly and extending between said stations, iso ated sections in said conductor adjacent said unloadin stations, switches for connecting said iso ated sections to the source of current supply, a carrier having a pair of separated currentcollectors engaging said conductor, a motor for driving said carrier, a reversing switch arranged to connect said motor to one of said current-collectors for movement in one direction and to the other current-collector for movement in the opposite direction, and a device adjacent each unloading station adapted to be set to cause the o eration of the reversing switch before the i le currentcollector enters upon the corresponding isolated section in passing from the loading station to the unloading station.

7. In a traveling carrier system, a loading station and a plurality of unloadin stations, a source of current supply, a con uctor extending between said stations, said conductor comprising dead sections at each station and main sections between stations connected to said source of su ply together with isolated sections near each station connected to said source of supply through a resistance or resistances, switches for connecting said dead sections to the source of current supply, switches for connecting said isolated sections directly to the source of supply, and a current-collector. engaging said conductor.

8. In a traveling carrier s stein, a loading station and a plurality of unloading stations, a source of current supply, an electricallyoperated carrier adapte to travel between said stations, a resistancelocated at a fixed point and means for connecting said carrier to the source of current supply through said resistance at the loading station, for cutting resistance in out said resistance as the carrier leaves the loading station and cutting the resistance in again as the carrier approaches any predetermined unloading station, together with means for stopping said carrier at said latter station and connecting it to the source 0 current supply for movement toward the loading station.

9. In a traveling carrier s stem, a loading ation and a plurality ofun oading stations, a source of current sup ly, an electricallyoperated carrier adapted to travel between said stations, a resistance located at a fixed point and means for connecting said carrier to said source of current-supply through said starting the carrier from any station and when the carrier approaches any predetermined station and for eliminating said resistance while the carrier is between stations, together with means for reversing said carrier at any predetermined unloading station, and means for stopping the carrier at the loading station.

10. In a traveling carrier system, a loadin station and an unloading station, a source 0 l l l a current supply,

a resistance, a motor-driven carrier adapted to travel between said stations, a conductor for supplying current to said carrier, said conductor comprising a main section extending between said stations and connected to said source of current su ply together with auxiliary sections at t e ends 0 the main sections and dead sections at the stations, means for connecting said auxiliary sections to the source of supply through said resistance, a pair of separated current collectors on said carrier arrange to be alternately connected to the carrier-motor for opposite directions of movement 0 carrier, and means for sto ping the carrier when the active current col ector enters upon a dead section, the arrangement bein such that the carrier is sto ped before bot collectors enter upon the ead section.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of March, 1906.

SAM H. LIBBY.

Witnesses:

'Rocnn H. Bv'rrnnwon'm, ANNA M. GniLm. 

